Prevalence and interrelationships of root surface caries in Lufa, Papua New Guinea

Abstract

abstract This survey of 222 adults aged 18 years and over, in highland communities near Lufa, Papua New Guinea, has revealed that: (1) the prevalence of root caries is much higher than that of coronal caries in persons aged 30 to 39 years; (2) periodontal disease and root caries are statistically strongly associated. These findings confirm one of the study hypotheses that, under certain combinations of etiologic and environmental influences, the prevalence of root caries may equal or exceed the prevalence of coronal caries, and furthermore, they strongly support the other study hypothesis that certain dietobacterial plaque infections are not conducive to highly active coronal lesions but are associated with periodontal lesions and radicular cavitation.